Lunch-kit.



Y. HOSHINOI LUNCH KIT.

APPLICATION mm m4. 3:. 1911.

Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Y. HOSHINO.

LUNCH KIT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31, 1917.

1 ,24@, l 44. Patented Sept. 11, 191?.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

2 l x muem ifisizwabamlfwfiziza Wi/tweooeo YOSHISABURO HOSHINO, OF DENVER, COLOR-ADO.

LUNCH-KIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 11, 191?.

Application filed January 31, 1917. Serial No. 145,754.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, YOSHISABURO HosHINo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lunch-Kits, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to lunch boxes, and more particularly to that type having a heating element installed therein, whereby the contents of the box will be kept in a heated condition at all times.

To this end, use is made of a box having a hinged closure and a heating element arranged in the closure, and so supported therein as to keep the lunch within the box in a warm condition, and further prevent the displacement of the heating element from the closure during the opening and closing actions ofthe closure,

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of the above stated character, wherein the supporting means for the heating element is so connected with the closure as to facilitate the supporting of the closure in an open position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a receptacle for containing the lunch having a slotted rear end wall, and means fastened to the closure and having connection with the slots of the rear end walls for hingedly connecting the closure with said receptacle; and a plate disposed within the receptacle having shutters, whereby the shutters may be positioned in obstructing or non-obstructing relation with respect to the slots of the receptacle, in order to afl'ord a proper ventilation of the receptacle, and allow the escape of the odors rising from the food stuffs from the box.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features, details of construction and combination of parts which will hereinafter be more fully set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the box in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the box in open position;

Fig. 3 is a rearend elevation;

Fig. 4 is a view of the interior surface of the rear end wall of the receptacle, illustrating the application of the ventilating plate thereto;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the rear-wall of the receptacle.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the front wall of the receptacle illustrating the ventilating plate attached thereto and Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the guide plate for holding the closure in abutting contact with the receptacle when the former is in an open position.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference refer to corresponding parts in the several views, 5 denotes the lunch box in its entirety, comprising a food receptacle 6, constructed of sheet metal or the like material, and comprising a front wall 7 provided with a pair of vertically arranged spaced parallel slots 8, oppositely disposed side walls 9, and a rear wall 10.

The rear wall 10 is also provided with a pair of vertically arranged spaced slots 11. The function of the slots 8 of the end wall and the slots 11 of the rear wall will be clearly set forth as the description of the invention is proceeded with. 12 designates a closure for closing the upper open end of the receptacle, and connected with its rear end wall 10 for longitudinal swingingmovements, through the medium of hinges 13. These hinges 13 are permanently connected to thelower transverse edge of the closure, as at 14:, and have their free extremities protruding through the slots 11 of the rear end wall 10 of the receptacle, and the free ends of the hinges 13 are so bent as to establish a connection of the hinge with the receptacle 6 at all times. Suitably arranged in the receptacle 6 and secured in'a vertical upright position to the inner face of the rear end wall 10 of the receptacle, is a yieldable retaining plate 15 having a slot 16 registering with one of the slots 11, and said plate is provided with an outwardly curved ofi'set portion 17 which is retained in spaced relation with the inner surface of the rear end wall 10 at all times through the medium of the horizontal flange 18. One of the hinges 13 which swingingly connects the closure 12 with the receptacle, also protrudes through the slot 16 of the retaining plate 15, whereby when the closure is swung to an open position, the hinge will ride in the slot 16 and 2:51 :3 ii c t 1; title portion iii of the retaining plate, and have a tendency to draw the closure in binding contact with the exterior surface of the rear end wall 10 at all times, and prevent the weight of the closure from causing the upsetting of the receptacle 6.

A thermos bottle is shown as arranged in the 12 and designated by the character 19. in order to prevent the thermos bottle from coming in contact with the contents of the receptacle 6, 1 provide supportrneans therefor, embodying a pair of paced transversely arranged strips and 1. The lower longitudinal edges of the losure are defined between the opposed races of the reinforcing strips 23 and the angularly bent terminal portions'22. The supporting strip 20 is pivotally connected to the inner side face of the closure 12 at the lower bottom longitudinal edge thereof, designated by the character 24, and formed at the free end thereof with a hook 25 adapted to engage in the keeper 26, thereby 705 LOU dctac ,bly connecting the free end of the suppo 1g strip 20 with the closure. These strips mien in supporting position, lie in a transverse parallel plane and across the open bottom end of the closure, and have secured to their inner faces abowed yieldable member 27, conforming to the contour of the bottle, and serving to prevent accidental rolling action of the thermos bottle Within the closin-e during the conveying of the lunch box from place to place. The supporting strip 26, when the closure 12 is swung to an open position, is detachably engaged from the keeper 25 and connected with the hook 26,

secured to the upper longitudinal edge of the receptacle 6, and serving to retaln the closure in supported open position, as better shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

Mounted within the receptacle 6, and in abutting relation with the interior surface of the front wall 7 thereof, is a plate 29, provided with a pair of spaced vertically disposed slots 30, said slots adapted to register with the slots 8 and closed through the medium of a slide 31, constituting a pair of shutters 32 connected to one another through the medium of a connecting bar 83, provided with a manipulating knob 34. From this construction, it will be understood that should it be found desirable to allow the escape of the odors rising from the lunch contained in the box, the same can be readily accomplished by the moving of the shutters 32 in non-obstructing relation with the slots 80 and 8 respectively, and allow the escape of the same from the box. This plate 29 is permanently connected within the receptacle 6, while the plate 35 is detachably mounted in abutting relation with the interior surface of the rear end wall 10 of the receptacle, by the insertion of rea ies the same beta. cl the angular guide strips 0. This plate 35 is also provided with a pair of spaced vertically disposed slots 37 registering with the slots 11 of the rear end wall 10 of the receptacle, and carries a pair of shutters 38 operatively connected to one another through the medium of the connecting bar 39, and operated through the medium of the lever 40. The said plate 35, aside from serving as a means for permitting of the proper ventilation of the lunch box, is employed to support thereon a condiment holder 41, which passes through the slot 42 and reposes upon the ledge 43, and is supported on the plate by means of the yieldable bar 44.

In order to permit of a convenient insertion or removal of the thermos bottle 19, 1 provide the closure 12 in its front end wall with an opening 45. lhe tab 46 which is hingedly connected with the upper transverse edge of the front wall of the receptacle, serves to close this opening 45 when the closure 12 is in a closed position, and the tab 46 is retained in closed position through the medium of the spring actuated latch 47 engaging with the keeper 48. This tab is provided with a plate 49, which may bear a name of the possessor of the box, or any other indicia as may be deemed necessary, and the lunch box is provided with a handle 50 for conveying the same rom one place to another.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of construction and the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, and while 1 have described the principles of operation of the invention, together with the device which I new consider to be the best embodiment thereof, ll desire to have it understood'that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new, is 1. A device of the class described, a closure therefor, a heating element mounted within said closure, and a plurality of supporting members carried by the closure and arranged in parallelism across thebottom of the closure, certain of said supporting members having pivotal connection at one end with one face of the closure and detachably connected at its opposite end with the opposite face of said closure.

2. A device of the above stated character, embodying a receptacle including a slotted rear end wall, a closure hingedly connected thereto, guide springs mounted in said receptacle, a plate mounted within said receptacle, and in adjacent relation to the rear end thereof, a pair of shutters carried by said plate, and means for simultaneously opice crating said shutters to obstructing or nonobstructing relation with respect to said slot for affording proper ventilation to said receptacle. A

3. A device of the character described, including a receptacle having a slotted rear end wall, a slotted plate disposed within the receptacle, a slotted retaining member defined within the receptacle between the rear end wall thereof and thesaid plate, the slots of the end wall, the retaining member and the said plate registering with one another, a closure for said receptacle, and means-extending through-the slotted end wall of the receptacle, and through the slot of the retaining member for hingedly connecting the closure with said receptacle.

4. A device of the character described, inv eluding a receptacle having a slotted rear end wall, a slotted plate disposed within'the receptacle, a slotted retaining member defined within the receptacle between one of the end Walls thereof and' the said plate, the slots of the latter end wall, the retaining member, and the said late registering with one another, a closure or said receptacle, and

' means extending through the slotted end wall of the receptacle and through the slot of the retaining mem er'for hingedly connecting the closure with said receptacle, said retaining member being formed with an offset portlon for holding the closure'in contact with the exterior face of the rear end wall of the receptacle when in an open position.

5. A device of the class described, embodying a receptacle, a closure hingedly connect ed with the receptacle for longitudinal swingin movement, and having an opening in the ront end wall thereof, supporting strips arranged across the lower open end of the closure, a heating element supported thereon, and a tab hingedly connected with the receptacle for closing the opening of the closure, and means for locking the tab in closed position.

6. A device of the character set forth, embodying a receptacle formed with slotted end walls, a plate arranged interiorly'of the receptacle in adjacent relation with one of the slot ted end walls thereof, means carried by said plate for causing the closing and opening of the openings of the receptacle to permit of the proper ventilation thereof, a yieldable strip connected with the plate, and serving to retain therein a condiment holder.

In testimony whereot I aflix my. signature.

YOSHISABURO HOSHINQ. 

